'Tuba Man' killer suspected in fatal shooting at Bellevue bar

Updated 7:16 pm, Monday, December 24, 2012

"Tuba Man" Ed McMichael, killed in October 2008, plays in front of KeyArena in this P-I file photo.

"Tuba Man" Ed McMichael, killed in October 2008, plays in front of KeyArena in this P-I file photo.

Image 2 of 2

Suspect Ja'mari Alexander-Jones (photo courtesy KOMO)

Suspect Ja'mari Alexander-Jones (photo courtesy KOMO)

'Tuba Man' killer suspected in fatal shooting at Bellevue bar

1 / 2

Back to Gallery

A 30-year-old Seattle man was killed and another man wounded in a shooting at a crowded bar in Bellevue early Monday, and a 19-year-old man is sought as the suspected gunman.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for Ja'mari Alexander-Jones , who is believed to be driving a white Nissan Maxima with Washington license plate AHZ1672. Bellevue police describe Jones as 5-foot-8 and 140 pounds and say Jones should be considered armed and dangerous.

The shooting broke out just after 1 a.m. at Munchbar at Bellevue Square, said Carla Iafrate, a spokeswoman for the Bellevue Police Department.

Police officers were outside the bar, because a large crowd had gathered there, when gunfire erupted, she said.

More than 600 people were inside the venue at the time of the shooting to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks' victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said several players were at Munchbar following the team's victory, but none was injured.

"From what we know our guys were in a separate area and nobody was involved at all," Carroll said during a Monday news conference. "It was an awful thing that happened." .

Cornelius Bomet says he saw some of the Seahawks players taking cover nearby.

"You have professional football players, they're all in their little cubby. They're on the floor," he said.

"It was crazy, I just heard some shots and I just got down," said witness Dejuan Lofton. "It was just wild."

Investigators say the gunfire started after several fights broke out.

"There were several incidents and altercations that were going on inside the Munchbar that possibly led up to the shooting," Iafrate said.

Other celebrities were on hand as well. Reality TV star Aubrey O'Day tweeted a photo from the crime scene and part of her tweet read: "Everyone was on the floor. People got shot."

Plenty of people were terrified.

"It's a whirlwind," Lofton said. "I'm still shaking to my knees."

Some witnesses thought the shooting may have started as an argument over a woman, but Bellevue police are still looking into the motive. A police source tells KOMO News they are investigating possible connections between this and a shooting at the Seattle nightclub Citrus earlier this year.

The wounded victim was in stable condition at Harborview Medical Center receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to his hand.